The Ring They Fear: Why Gen Z's Are Avoiding Phone Calls?

Despite being the most digitally connected generation in history, many members of Gen Z are increasingly reluctant to pick up a simple phone call. This paradox—hyper-connected yet physically distant—is more than just a quirky trait. It is a growing form of communication anxiety often referred to as telephobia, which has begun to impact their personal as well as professional lives in tangible ways.

According to recent studies, the phone anxiety of Gen Z is so crucial that 67% of those under 34 are avoiding work calls altogether. This widespread reluctance even forced Britain’s Office for National Statistics (ONS) to scrap key employment data, and colleges have had to step in with call-making classes. While Gen Z thrives in text-based or TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram spaces, traditional voice calls often evoke discomfort, avoidance, and even panic. Maxted Neal, a psychology and management professor at Hult International Business School, explained to Fortune that today phone calls are reserved for important occasions where a text won't suffice.

For job seekers, this fear can become a hidden barrier. Missed interviews, ignored recruiter calls, and a reluctance to follow up verbally have raised concerns among employers. Experts suggest several contributing factors, including lack of confidence in confrontation and the pressure of responding in real time without carefully crafted replies. To address this, career experts now encourage gradual exposure strategies like sending voice notes, rehearsing and getting comfortable with real conversation, and setting small conversational goals in an age where soft skills are increasingly valued.